MetriGenix, Inc. and Temple University to Co-Develop Proteomic Chips for Cardiovascular Disease.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

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GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BW HealthWire)--April 3, 2002

MetriGenix, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing a biochip platform based on the Flow-thru Chip(TM) technology, today announced a research agreement with Temple University to co-develop proteomic chips in the area of cardiovascular disease.

These new proteomic chips will be targeted for use by pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic researchers focused on defining the cellular and molecular basis for critical cardiovascular diseases, including congestive heart failure (CHF).

Commenting on the co-development agreement, Kenneth B. Margulies, M.D., of Temple University, said, "The Flow-thru Chip(TM) appears to be a unique platform in that it has the necessary performance characteristics for high-throughput protein expression analysis in addition to its proven capability in gene expression analysis. The 4D Assay System(TM), as a complete multi-gene screening solution, should become an invaluable component to our research efforts because of its multi-tasking capability across both gene expression and protein expression in the same assay system."

Under terms of the co-development agreement, researchers at Temple University will provide a selection of proteins based on their relevance to CHF, both from research conducted by Temple researchers and a complete review of current literature.

MetriGenix will produce Flow-thru Chip(TM) biochips with antibodies to monitor the selected proteins using the Company's latest generation 4D Assay System(TM). Because of its unique design characteristics, the 4D Assay System(TM) will enable parallel analysis of all individual protein markers at the same time, within a high-throughput environment.

As the first biochip based on MetriGenix's proprietary flow-thru technology, the 4D Assay System(TM) combines the unique properties of a three dimensional platform with the additional benefits of a fourth dimension--active fluid control--through the test area.

This new platform is designed to provide rapid, highly sensitive testing capability for drug discovery, high-throughput screening and, eventually, disease management applications.

The agreement also calls for Temple researchers to screen a library of approximately 350 archived human myocardial tissue specimens with an expanded molecular target set using the 4D Assay System(TM). Funding for this portion of the agreement is based on a grant provided to Temple University from the National Institute of Aging.

"We are very enthusiastic about co-developing the first proteomic-based assay for CHF with Temple University," remarked Dr. Andrew O'Beirne, MetriGenix's President and CEO. "This agreement is significant in that it represents the first research collaboration for MetriGenix, and it signals an initial expansion of our platform downstream into protein-based assays. We look forward to working with Temple researchers in creating a novel assay for screening and eventually diagnostic applications focused on cardiovascular disease."

Temple University Overview

Temple University (TU) of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, is a comprehensive public research university with more than 30,000 students. It has a distinguished faculty in 17 schools and colleges, including schools of Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Podiatry, and Dentistry, and a renowned Health Sciences Center.

For 100 years the School of Medicine has prepared its students to meet the challenges of a career in medicine. Dr. Margulies is the Co-Director of Temple's Cardiovascular Research Group, a consortium of basic and clinical scientists with a broad mission to better define the causes and cures of cardiovascular diseases.

Operationally, the Cardiovascular Research Group facilitates multilevel, interdisciplinary collaborations that help target basic research towards clinical challenges and enables translation of discoveries into novel approaches for the detection, treatment and prevention of debilitating cardiovascular disorders.

Major research themes at present are the cellular and molecular bases of human heart failure and the biology of cardiac recovery and reverse remodeling. For additional information about Temple's Cardiovascular Research Group, visit its web site at www.CVResearch.Temple.edu.

MetriGenix Overview

MetriGenix, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing a biochip platform based on the Flow-thru Chip(TM) technology. The Flow-thru Chip(TM) technology is a scaleable, high-performance microarray platform with a microchannel structure that results in a much larger surface area-to-volume ratio than is attained with flat surface platforms.

The unique structure of the Flow-thru Chip(TM) technology yields performance enhancements in capacity, kinetics, and uniformity for biological sensing applications. MetriGenix has combined the Flow-thru Chip(TM) technology, which includes custom and branded chips, and its associated instrumentation, into a complete biomolecular analysis solution--the 4D Assay System(TM).

The 4D Assay System(TM) has been developed for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for use in biological discovery programs, pharmaceutical screening, genetic diagnostics and individualized disease management. For additional information about MetriGenix and the Flow-thru Chip(TM), and the 4D Assay System(TM) please call 301/987-1716 or visit the Company Web site at www.metrigenix.com.